‡Ref.: Schrader, F.C., and Hill, J.M. (1910) Some occurrences of molybdenite in the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, in Contributions to economic geology (short papers and preliminary reports) 1909 - Part I--Metals and nonmetals except fuels: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 430, p. 158-159.
Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1915), Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 582: 64, 168, 173.
University of Arizona Bull. 41 (1916-17), Mineralogy of Useful Minerals in Arizona: 29, 43.
Creasey, S.C. & G.L. Quick (1955), Copper deposits of part of Helvetia mining district, Pima County, Arizona, USGS Bull. 1027-F.
Kirkemo, H., et al (1965), Investigations of Molybdenum Deposits in the Conterminous United States 1942-60, Contributions to Economic Geology, USGS Bull. 1182-E: E13.
King, R.U. (1969) Molybdenum and rhenium, in Mineral and water resources of Arizona: Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin 180, p. 230-238.
Full, Roy P. (1970) Indian Claims Commission docket 345, VIP 302-303.
USGS Field Notes MO1 Pima County.
U.S. Bureau of Mines field notes, MO1 Pima County.
Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology file data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10026816, MRDS ID #M000407; and, Dep. ID #10305082, MAS ID #0040230374; and, Dep. ID #10008299, MRDS ID #D000334; and, Dep. ID #10162135, MAS ID #0040230280; and, Dep. ID #10162305, MRDS ID #M030552, MAS ID #0040190520; and, Dep. ID #10210757, MAS ID #0040191202.
A former surface and underground Mo-Cu mine/group of claims/prospects located in secs. 35, 36, T19S, R14E, and secs. 1,2, T20S, R14E, 3 miles south of McCleary Camp, ½ mile south of White House, 10 miles SW of Helvetia, and 16 miles NNW of Patagonia, in Madera Canyon (in the foothill part of its course). They range from about 4,500 to 5,000 feet in elevation and trend nearly north along the creek, extending half a mile on each side of the county line. Held by the Sun Lode Molybdenum Co., owned at times by Mr. McCleary and John A. Duffy and Chester A. Wynn of Chicago, IL.
The country rock is Precambrian (?) granite. It has been fractured by dynamic disturbances, and along the more prominent of the resulting joints and fault fissures occur the quartz veins that contain the prospects. These veins range from 1 foot to 12 feet or more in width and are mostly compound veins or stockworks. They are principally associated with intrusive aplite or allied dikes, with which the deposits are probably genetically connected.
The most northerly prospect is on the east side of the creek, at an elevation of 4,560 feet.
A stockwork of quartz veinlets, 3 to 7 feet wide, is exposed in the granite. It dips about 60º NNW. and is traceable for a distance of 1,500 feet eastward from the opening. The granite between the veinlets is very much altered. It is soft, has a yellowish-red color, due seemingly to iron staining, and contains pyrite crystals and flakes of molybdenite. The quartz forming the veinlets of the stockwork is smoky and coated with limonite and a little molybdenite.
At these claims, granitic rocks, ranging from diorite to granite, are most abundant, and they are cut by numerous aplitic dikes. In the northern part of Madera Canyon, quartz veins strike almost east but range from N.70ºW. to N.80ºE.; their dip is steep to the north. The veins range in width from 1 (2.5 cm) inch to more than 3 feet (1 meter); marked exchanges in width occur along the strike. In general, the veins are spaced 30 to 100 feet apart. Younger faults virtually parallel the veins.
Molybdenite occurs as tiny scattered crystals in short seams that are irregularly and sparsely distributed in the quartz veins. In general, molybdenite is more abundant where the quartz veins are widest.
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